Illustration #3
"Every time Skinny hit, he hit in a different place"
Pretty soon I began worrying about Westy, because something is alwaysdelaying that fellow, and I even hoped that he wouldn't stumble overany more good turns, until this day's work was over. If Westy fell outof a ten-story building, he'd do a good turn on the way down--that's theway he is.
Well, pretty soon I heard him coming through the woods on the dead run.We all stopped working and laughed, because he was coming along likea marathon runner. All except Skinny-he went right on chopping away andthe sapling looked as if a cow had been chewing it.
I don't know, but something or other made me feel kind of mad at him allof a sudden, and I didn't laugh at him.
Then he called over to me and he said, "Look how I'm chopping it downwith my axe! See?" "Who's axe?" I said, because I just couldn't help it.
"Look! See?" he shouted, all excited; "ain't I a good chopper--ain't I?"
Maybe you won't understand how it was, because, gee, I can't tell thingsso you'll see them just right. Anyway, I'm not excusing myself, that'sone thing. But I just looked over at Skinny and I said:
"I don't want to look at your axe! Shut up you little--" I was going tocall him a little thief, but I'm mighty glad I didn't. "Can't you seeI'm looking at something else?" I said, kind of mad. "You'd be betteroff if you never thought about the axe; you're a--"
Just then I heard somebody yell, "Look out, Westy, the boards are gone!You'll have to climb!"
After that, everything seemed to be all jumbled up. I saw Skinny standingnear his sapling just staring at me and he looked as if I had just hithim and he didn't understand at all. He didn't even notice all the otherfellows who were running. Then I looked and I didn't see Westy, but allthe fellows were heading for the ditch and I knew right away what hadhappened. Somebody hollered, "Get your kit, Doc, and hurry up."
There was a ditch near where the saplings grew and usually there were acouple of boards across it. But they weren't there when all of us fellowswent across and we had to go down into the ditch and climb up the otherside. I guess the woodsmen had taken them, maybe.
Anyway, when Westy came along the path he was running so hard he didn'tnotice in time that the boards weren't there, and he went head overheels into the ditch. I guess I was the last one to get there, and allthe fellows were standing around and Doc was kneeling over Westy, andfeeling his pulse. Westy's face was all white and there was bloodcoming down from his eye and he looked straight up and didn't noticeanybody. All the fellows were quiet and scared, kind of, and waitingfor Doc to speak. But he wasn't excited, only he said we'd better get adoctor. "It isn't a fracture," he said; "it's only a cut, but anyway,we'd better get the doctor."
Then I saw some blood on the front of Westy's khaki shirt. But Doc saw itfirst and he said, "Open his shirt, maybe he has something hanging fromhis neck that cut him. Feel and see if he has a knife in his breastpocket. Open his shirt first. Give me the iodine and some bandage, one ofyou fellows."
I thought I ought to be the one to open his shirt, because he was in mypatrol and besides we were special friends, as you might say. So Ipushed through past the others and just as I was kneeling down I sawSkinny standing up on the edge of the ditch and his eyes looked big andhe was all trembling and excited. There were big red spots on his cheeksand I knew that was the consumption that showed whenever he got excited.He was all by himself up there and he looked kind of wild--I can'texactly tell you..
Then I opened Westy's shirt and I saw he had a ring with two keys hangingthere and they must have pressed into his chest and cut him. It kind ofscared me, because there was so much blood, but Doc said, "Give me theiodine--that's nothing."
And I knew he knew what he was talking about.
While he was putting iodine in the cut I felt in Westy's pocket like Doctold me to do, but there wasn't any knife there. But there was somethingelse there and I pulled it out. Oh, gee, I hate to tell you about it. Itwas my two dollar bill. I could tell because it was new and because ithad a stain on it in the shape of a half circle.
I always kept oil on those oar-locks, so they wouldn't get rusty.
CHAPTER XXIV
TREASURE ISLAND
Nobody noticed me, I guess, and I just scrambled up the ditch and wentaway behind a tree and looked at the two dollar bill again. I guess yousure know the shape of an oar-lock all right--kind of round, but open atthe top. And that was just the shape of the stain on the bill. I couldhave laid one of my oar-locks right on that bill and covered up thestain.
Maybe you think I was glad to get the bill back but I wasn't. What did Icare about that bill? Gee, a two dollar bill isn't anything, compared toa friend, it isn't. I could have another bill right away if I wanted it,and anyway, I'd be sure to get one on Monday. It was Westy I was thinkingabout, because you know how you heard me say we were special friends,sort of, Jiminy Christopher! I didn't care about anything now.
Even once when I lost my bronze medal I didn't feel so bad. Then I saidI guessed Westy just put it in his pocket to fool me and that he wasgoing to give it to me. But cracky, there's no use trying to kidyourself. Then, all of a sudden I thought how he wanted me to hurryand run and how he didn't want to stop and talk much about it.
Jiminy, I didn't know what to do and I just felt like going home andgoing up to my room and locking the door. I knew if I ever toldanybody it would be either Ruth or Marjorie. It's funny how when afellow really has a lot of trouble he'd rather tell a girl thananybody else. You can laugh at girls, but that's true. Maybe theycan't run and all that, but they kind of know all about it when youhave a lot of trouble. Maybe I'd tell them, tool because they'd wonderif Westy didn't come to the house any more.
Anyway, I was glad it was me to find the two dollars and none of theother fellows. I decided that as long as it wasn't any good to me I'dput it back in his pocket if I could get a chance. Then maybe it wouldbe kind of like a memorandum to him and he'd come and give it back whenhe had plenty of money sometime, maybe.
But when I went back there wasn't any chance to do that, because allthe fellows were still crowding around. I stood up on the edge of theditch and I heard somebody say that El Sawyer had gone to Bridgeboro.Doc looked up at me and he said, "It isn't bad, kiddo, don't worry." AndI knew he was right and it made me feel good.
Anyway, I don't know why he called me kiddo sometimes. Because I'm leaderof the Silver Fox patrol, why should he call me kiddo. But I guess hefelt sorry for me, as you might say.
It was funny, but as soon as I knew Westy was going to get better, Ididn't want to stay there. I was afraid he might look at me and see thateverything wasn't all right. I was afraid he might see something in myeyes--you know. So I walked away, and besides, anyway, I wanted to thinkand I just felt I wanted to be alone by myself.
Just as I was going away one of the fellows said, "Here you go, kiddo,"and chucked a book up at me. "You take care of it; it was in his pocket,"he said. I guessed it was the book Westy had got out of the library and Iwas pretty glad because when you're all alone and haven't got any friendsand everybody goes back on you, kind of, it's dandy to read a book.Because, anyway, books never go back on you, that's one sure thing, andthey don't take--anyway they're good friends. When I looked at this one,I saw it was "Treasure Island" and I was glad because I always liked thatone.
That fellow, Jim Hawkins, he was a fine fellow anyway. Gee, I said tomyself, I'd like to have him for a friend, that's sure. Because a fellowin a book can be a friend to you just like a real one. Even better,sometimes.
CHAPTER XXV
THE SHORT CUT
One thing, I hoped they'd all go home soon so I could sit down on a logand read some more in that book. Only lately I read it, but cracky, thatdoesn't make any difference when it's a good book. I thought I'd go backto the ditch pretty soon--as soon as Ed Sawyer came with the doctor. Butanyway, I wanted to be alone now.
So I stuffed the book in my pocket and strolled over to where we had bee
ncutting the saplings. Then I went over close and looked at the one Skinnyhad been chopping. I guess I didn't know what I was doing and thinkingabout. Anyway, now that I looked at it, I was sorry I made fun of him andgot mad at him. It wasn't only because I knew he didn't take the twodollars, but anyway, I felt sorry for him.
I couldn't see him anywhere around and he wasn't in the ditch, I knewthat If he had been there then, you bet I'd have been all right with him.It made me feel bad when I looked at that sapling an hacked and standingup just as strong as ever. He must have chopped away on it for half anhour and about all the poor little kid did was to get the bark off. Rightclose by, I saw his belt axe lying just where he left it. It had Skinnymarked on it, and I guess he did it himself. It made me feel kind ofsorry for him that he called himself Skinny. It was his axe, anyway. AndI felt like kicking myself. And I saw how he had been trying to be ascout just like the other fellows, poor little kid. It wasn't any of mybusiness where he got the money. It was his, anyway.
Then I began kicking the chips around with my foot and saying,"Poor kid." And I said I guessed he'd die before he could ever chop downa tree. Because, now since I had seen those red spots on his cheeks Iknew how bad he was. I knew he didn't have any strength at all, and allthe time something he had said kept running in my mind. "I like the oneabout honor." "Poor little Skinny," I said. I was feeling bad, anyway.
An of a sudden I heard a sound and saw three or four fellows scramblingup out of the ditch. So I went over there and just as I got there, I sawsomething that I'll never forget, you can bet.
First I thought it was a ghost, and all the fellows were flabbergasted.It was Skinny standing right near and clutching hold of a tree, and hewas all trembling and I thought he was going to fall down. Honest, Inever saw anything like the way he looked. His hair was all flying looseand it made him look wild, because it wasn't cut. And his eyes were alllike as if they were on fire.
"I got him," he said, "I got him--he's coming. He's getting--out of--outof his automobile. I got him because I'm--I'm a swamp-rat!" Thats justthe way he said it, and he hung onto the tree and his fingers were allthin like an old man's and the spots were in his cheeks. "He's coming!"he panted out.
Just then I could see Doctor Winters coming through the trees with alittle black bag. He must have left his machine out on the road abouta hundred yards away. And I guess Skinny must have jumped out and runin ahead to show him the way and he just kept saying, "I got him, I gothim! Because I'm a swamp--rat--everybody says so--and I know the shortcut--now can I have a badge--maybe--sometime? Maybe am I a scout now?",
I just looked at him and it gave me the creeps, because I knew what hehad done. And I remembered now how people called him a dirty swamp-rat.Many a time I'd heard them call him that. Just a dirty little swamp-rat.And now, he was sort of proud of it.
First, I couldn't move and I just couldn't speak. Then I went up to himand I said--I didn't care for the doctor or anybody--I said, "Skinny,there's one fellow here who knows what the marshes are and that's me.Because I came near getting swallowed up by them."
"It's--it's--short-cut," he just panted out. "All I want to tell you is,"I said, "there's not another scout in the whole troop could do it--do youhear! You're not a swamp-rat, you're a swamp-scout," I said.
Then I was going to say more, only Skinny seemed as if he was going tofall and the doctor kind of seemed to want me to move away. Anyway, Iwent over and got Skinny's belt-axe to carry it home for him.
CHAPTER XXVI
IN MY OWN CAMP
As soon as the fellows knew for sure that there was nothing much thematter with Westy, they scrambled out of the ditch and all stoodaround Skinny, praising him up and he was so excited that he didn'ttalk straight, but sort of yelled at them. The only ones with Westywere the real doctor and Doc Carson, and Doc was helping him fix thebandages better.
When I saw them down there it made me feel as if I'd like to go down andsay something to Westy. His face was all white and the bandage on hishead made him look--oh, I don't know--sort of as if he might die. Andthen I'd be sorry I hadn't said something to him. Because I had knownWesty an awful long time.
So I went down and pretty soon the doctor went up to see Skinny and DocCarson went too. So I was alone with him down there, but his eyes wereshut on account of his being weak from losing so much blood, and hedidn't notice me.
Anyway, I slipped that two dollars into his shirt pocket because I didn'twant it anyway, and I thought maybe it would be a memorandum to him,like I said. Besides I didn't have a right to keep money I got out ofanother fellow's pocket.
I said, "It's me, Westy; the reason I didn't come around was because allthe other fellows were here. But now you're alone I want to tell you thatI'm glad you're not hurt bad."
He just looked at me and he said, "I went--I did it."
First I didn't know what to say, and then I said, "Never you mind, Iguess you were kind of crazy. We all get crazy sometimes. I was crazywhen I thought Tom Slade was lying once. Never you mind."
"I guess I was crazy," he just said, and then he shut his eyes and Ididn't bother him any more--only just sat there. I don't know what madehim tell me, but anyway, I was glad.
Pretty soon I helped him to Dr. Winters' automobile because he limpedpretty bad. Skinny went in the automobile, too, and Doc Carson, but theydidn't ask me. All the fellows went along the road, too, becausenobody felt like hauling the saplings that day, and I didn't, that'ssure. I said I was going back to get Skinny's axe, and I was glad when Iwas all alone in the woods. That's the best place to be if you've got anytroubles and you want to think.
And I kind of didn't want to think about Westy, so I thought about Skinnyjust to keep everything else out of my head. Because I knew it wouldn'tever be just the same again with Westy and I didn't want to think aboutit. In the troop it would be all right, and maybe in the patrol too, butit wouldn't ever be just the same again with Westy and me.
I was glad that I'd be interested in Skinny and now I could see he wasdifferent from all of us kind of wonderful-I don't know how to tell you.His eyes were so big, and wild, and starey. And he said things in such afunny way and he got so excited. Up at Temple Camp, afterwards, Mr.Ellsworth told Jeb Rushmore that Skinny was inspired, but I don't knowjust what he meant. An I knew is we were even scared of him sometimes.He never called any of us by our names--that was funny.
Pretty soon I went home. It was all dark in the woods and dandy forthinking, and I was glad I had one friend, anyway, and that was JimHawkins in the book. I guessed maybe that was the reason that Westy gotthe book, because only lately I had read it, and I had told him so muchabout it. All the way home I kept thinking about Westy and I wished I hadnever found that out.
Mostly at night I sit on the porch with my mother and father, but thatnight I went to my tent and lit the lantern and sat there. I like alantern because it reminds you of camping. Nix on electric lights up atTemple Camp, that's what Jeb Rushmore says. Gee, he has no use forelectric lights--electric lights and umbrellas. But, anyway, I've got awire from our garage to Camp Solitaire (that's my tent) and a bulb forwhen I want to read. Jerry says I ought to pay for tapping the garagecurrent. I should worry.
I sat down and began reading 'Treasure Island' all over again. I skippeda lot because I had only just lately read it, and pretty soon I wasreading about in the middle of it, where they start off in the ship.That's the part I like best. All of a sudden I couldn't see the readingvery good and I noticed there was a stain on the page.
Here's where I wish that I knew all about writing books like a regulargrown up author, because I have to explain something to you and, cracky,I wish you could see that book, because then it would be easier. First, Ididn't think anything about it at all, only I noticed that the stain wason the left hand page. Then, all of a sudden I noticed something aboutthat stain that got me all excited. It was in the shape of a ring,kind of.
Right away I knew what it meant. I picked up one of my oar-locks and laidit on the stain and
it just covered it. So I saw I had damaged the bookwhen I had it before. That's one thing you're not supposed to do--damagebooks out of the library. If you keep a book till its overdue, that isn'tso bad, because then you just pay a fine. Connie says that's being a goodbookkeeper.
But to damage a book--g--o--o--d night!
CHAPTER XXVII
THE GENTLE BREEZE
I was just thinking how funny it was that Westy got this very same bookthat I had, but maybe it wasn't so funny, because that was what put itinto his head to get it--seeing it in my tent. Anyway, I was glad it cameback to me, because now I saw what I had done and I made up my mind thatI'd buy a new book for the library.
Then I was thinking how I'd have to tell Westy about it, and, oh, I don'tknow, I just didn't know how to go and speak to him. I wasn't mad at him,but anyway, I felt as if I didn't want to see him--yet. Anyway, I didn'thave any money yet and books like that cost a lot.
All of a sudden I heard Don start barking and then he stopped. So I knewsomebody was coming that he knew. Then I heard somebody say, "You'realways suspicious, ain't you," and oh, I felt awful funny, because Iknew it was Westy. It seemed as if he might be saying that to me, butI knew he was saying it to Don--just kind of jollying him. Maybe youthink you can't jolly a dog but you can. You can Don, anyway.